Golden Sun Redux
by Feonyx
Summary: It's here! It's here! Let the bells ring out and the banners fly! The 4th and final part, Psynergy of the Heart, is up, but some annoying mechanics of have been causing difficulties. All is well now, so welcome to Angara. Keep off the grass.
1. Path Of The Ancients

Golden Sun Redux  
  
Author's Notes: How to explain, how to explain. Well here goes: You may or may not have heard of the recent decision in the US, a judicial decision, that video games cannot present ideas or philosophies, or for that matter say much of anything. This sounds like adults at work to me (Kidding! I know of a 70-year-old who teaches her grandchildren how to beat Ocarina of Time!).  
  
I have always seen great stories come through in video games, right back to ancient things like Target Earth for the Sega Genesis (Don't get me started or I'll tell you about the Space Colony Blitz). These days people can put more story into games than ever before, but sometimes you can even see it in games where your main character only ever says 'Yes' or 'No'. Hint hint.  
  
As an experiment and proof of this, I'm taking Golden Sun and rewriting parts of it. I'm starting with the Venus Lighthouse and (if this is popular enough) moving on from there. Sometimes back in time (you should hear my story about the first time Flint goes into battle) and, when Lost Age comes out, sometimes forward.  
  
You may point out that since this is a rewriting, it doesn't count as being part of the game, only the writer's mind. You are dead wrong. All of this was created within the game, and here I have connected the parts. Look carefully at the icon for the Revive Psynergy. Turn the volume way up on your GBA and listen to it being cast outside of battle. That's all it took to create half of the ending of this story.  
  
Another point: in the interests of drama, I've divided the classes and summons further. The highest classes are only reached with all seven Djinn attached (wait 'til you see the battle with Deadbeard, should I ever post it) and have more significant effects. Also, a new summon is reached at 1, 3, 5, and 7.  
  
Oh, and if anyone would be kind of enough to give me an example of successful HTML documents, they'd be much appreciated. This story is kind of bland without any effects, but nothing I've done works, no matter what tabs I add or what type of file I save it as.  
  
That's it. Now sit back and read Golden Sun Redux part one... the end.  
  
  
  
Part 1: Venus Lighthouse Redux  
  
  
  
"It's a seamless iron door three feet thick that is embedded in some kind of special, indestructible granite wall," explained Faran.  
  
"That does put a damper on our plans," said Isaac, thoughtfully. He stared at the door for a moment or two, then looked over to Faran. "And if we can open it?"  
  
"You?" demanded Faran. He stared at the children in obvious disbelief. "A wannabe knight, a kid who looks like his hair exploded, a boy with a four-year-old's face and a grand priest's staff, and a girl in healer's robes who's glaring at me slightly more intensely with every second?"  
  
"I can show him some other things exploding," muttered Garet, but he just waited to hear Isaac's response. At the edge of his vision, he saw Ivan's hand twitch, almost moving up to perform a Mind Read. No need to freak the guy out.  
  
"Can you think of a better plan?" asked Isaac. He didn't add any inflection or suggestion, it was just a question. Garet knew this plan well by now. Isaac was simply as solid as his element, never wavering in his thoughts or getting angry, and the other person was so unnerved that they relented. It was like arguing with a boulder.  
  
"Faran, be reasonable. I have seen their powers, and they really are capable of such things," said Iodem. "What harm is there in letting them try?"  
  
"We don't even know what's behind that door!" protested Faran.  
  
"We did see those other people go through it," offered one of the guards without much enthusiasm. Mia, calm as a still lake, stepped up to Faran. She looked into his eyes.  
  
"Have you ever heard of a Kraken?" she asked, innocently.  
  
"Mythical creature," Faran replied, waving her back.  
  
"We fought one on the ship to Tolbi. And reduced it to fried calamari," she added.  
  
"I did the frying," said Garet, waving from behind her.  
  
"Would have been better to get some bread crumbs first though," commented Ivan. Garet looked at him with a betrayed expression. "I'm not saying we had time," Ivan explained. "Just that it would have been ideal."  
  
"Or maybe the pirate Deadbeard?" asked Mia.  
  
"Ironically, dead for centuries."  
  
"Not his ghost. Not until recently, that is," said Mia, looking thoughtfully at Isaac.  
  
"Fine. I refuse to believe a word of this, of course." Faran looked to Iodem for backup.  
  
"Of course," said Isaac, graciously. "But will you at least let us try?"  
  
"If it is so important to you. Once you fail, can we get back to work?"  
  
"Naturally. But we won't fail." That said, Isaac stepped up to the door and studied it. "Ivan," he whispered, "can you give me a link to your sight?"  
  
(Sure,) Ivan replied in thoughts. (Try not to think about Mia, though, okay? It wouldn't do for me to look embarrassed while we're trying to be mystical.)  
  
(What *about* Mia? Ah, forget it. Reveal would be nice right about now.) In a flicker of non-colour, the world turned black-and-white. Except for a metal object on the wall, inscribed with a triangle, which hadn't been there before. Isaac reached out and pressed it, the metal cold to his touch and feeling like history.  
  
The door, silently and without ceremony, slid open. Each half of it sank into the wall, and bright torchlight extended through it, into the cave where they stood. Faran gaped.  
  
"You did it. How did you. what did you. Never mind that. Let's go!" He rushed forward, followed by his Lalivero guards. The door slammed closed before them.  
  
"Oy," muttered Mia, one hand on her face. "Do you realise what this means?" Garet nodded, the situation becoming apparent to him.  
  
"This door has been Psynergy-sealed, which means it leads to Venus Lighthouse. And that means Saturos and Menardi are already there, with the Venus Star. We don't have much time."  
  
"But Felix is the only Venus Adept with them, and he's not so much in favour of Saturos and Menardi as he's going the same way they are. They won't be able to rush through like they did at Mercury Lighthouse," said Ivan, joining them.  
  
"It's not like we were slowed down much by the trials there either," called Isaac. "Let's go. Faran, sorry, but we really can't let you follow us."  
  
"Let me?!" demanded Faran. "I'm twice your age! You don't 'let me' do anything! I am capable of far more than any child like yourself could." Isaac, still looking at Faran, extended one hand toward the door's hidden switch and whispered 'Force'. The door slid open without Isaac ever stepping near it.  
  
"What was that?" he spluttered.  
  
"Something you can't do. Now let us go; you're only stopping us from saving Sheba." Faran's mouth worked as though he was trying to say something, but words failed him entirely. He nodded, and they ran through the door, out of sight.  
  
"Really a Kraken?" he asked, eventually.  
  
"So I've heard," replied Iodem.  
  
  
  
"What's the plan, mystical one?" asked Garet as they ran into the halls of Venus Lighthouse.  
  
"Shut up," replied Isaac good-naturedly. "How else do you think I should have convinced him?"  
  
"No, that was good. You might be forced to do some explaining when we're done here," Garet said. They stepped through the door of the lighthouse proper, and found themselves in a temple of green stone and yellow torches. Above them, curved granite arches held up the ceiling seamlessly from one side to the opposite.  
  
Across the floor, pillars and staircases made trails that went up and down all over the place, apparently not heeding the usual architectural ideas about floors. It was like a broken ziggurat with waterfalls of sand at intervals. Occasionally, a growth of ivy had climbed the walls and tied itself around statues.  
  
"I remember this place," said Sap from Isaac's shoulder. "This is where we were born."  
  
"You were?" asked Isaac, slightly surprised.  
  
"What, did you think someone sculpted us?" asked an ancient, tired voice. "Ah, good to be home." The Adepts looked to the floor, where Bane was studying the walls appreciatively.  
  
"Do you think you can lead us through this place?" asked Ivan. "We need to be quick."  
  
"Amen," said Kite. "The sooner we win, the sooner we can get away from all this Venus Psynergy. Why Saturos and Menardi even want it is beyond me."  
  
"Did I ask you?" demanded Bane. "Whippersnappers."  
  
"Well, where do we go?" asked Mia, kindly. Bane looked a though he didn't feel like helping, but he never could resist Mia. He set out along a walkway and the others followed.  
  
"Hey, we're here!" said Flint, waking up and materialising on Isaac's head. "I'll get the others!"  
  
"You'd think the builders would've got tired of pillar puzzles eventually," muttered Garet as they found one blocking their path. He leapt down a level and started heaving against one of the blocks, positioning it into a makeshift bridge.  
  
"At least they were nice enough to include a treasure chest in the deal," said Ivan, jumping to the block Garet was moving and across to a ledge, where a red and silver box lay in wait.  
  
"Don't bother helping or anything," said Garet, hauling on the pillar. He kept dragging as Ivan half-turned to apologise. Behind Ivan, the chest opened an eye for a split second.  
  
"Ivan!" called Isaac. "Don't try to-" Ivan spun and kicked the lid and a way that should have opened it. Instead, the Mimic leapt up and snarled at him.  
  
"Garet, move that back!" Garet looked up at Mia to ask why, but instead followed her gaze to the now-unreachable ledge where Ivan was staring down the aggressive luggage. He started to push the block back, but at another screech from the Mimic, four growling creatures pounced from a higher level.  
  
"What are those?" yelled Isaac as he drew his Silver Blade.  
  
"Uh, Fenrir," Bane said, backing away.  
  
"They look like it," said Isaac. One of the two-headed wolves circled him, saliva flowing onto its venomous purple fur. It growled and lunged at Isaac, both sets of fangs snapping ravenously.  
  
"What's- oh," said Flint, reappearing and losing a great deal of his enthusiasm.  
  
"Unleash Flint!" called Isaac, and swung his sword at the beast. It was knocked back in an explosive slash, but rebounded quickly. One head grabbed the hilt of Isaac's sword while the other tried to clamp onto his neck, driving Isaac onto the tiled floor. The snarling head opened its jaws wide before his face, straining against the resistance. It got close enough to bite, the stench of its breath sending waves of nausea through Isaac's body-  
  
"Unleash Mist!" A staff smashed against the creature's head and sent it crashing into the wall, fading as it hit. A much more attractive face appeared above Isaac, offering her hand. Isaac took it gladly and pulled himself up.  
  
"What happened to the other one?" asked Isaac, trying to shake away the odour of its breath.  
  
Mia jerked her thumb over her shoulder at a Fenrir trapped inside a Glacier. "I'm sure when it thaws out we'll have to pacifying to do. Now let's get Garet out of there."  
  
His back to the pillar, Garet was trying to hold off the remaining pair of monsters, and without much luck. The beasts were too quick to let him get in any Fire Psynergy, and were almost immune to his other attacks. But as Isaac got closer to the Fenrir, he felt power growing in his sword, and it let out a howl that echoed through the hall.  
  
"Aqua Sock!" A column of water stabbed from above as Isaac swung the Silver Blade, smashing into one of the monsters. It petrified and disintegrated, the animals trapped in a nightmare's shape no more. One head of the remaining Fenrir noticed this, while the other kept snarling at Garet. He almost laughed as the better-informed head tried to get the first one's attention (without much success) and took advantage of the delay.  
  
"Flare Storm!" called Garet, casting a gout of burning wind at the creature, and the corrupted form burnt away. He breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to thank Isaac when Ivan called out.  
  
"Hello! This thing isn't Wind-vulnerable, you know!" Ivan was currently fending the Mimic off with his Crystal Staff, bashing the lid closed to keep the teeth under control.  
  
"Not a problem. How many on standby?" asked Isaac, looking to Garet and Mia.  
  
"Only one, Mist," Mia replied.  
  
"Corona, ditto," Garet added.  
  
"I think it's wearing out!" said Ivan, thrashing madly. "And I've got Kite."  
  
"Well, one might be enough then. Go for it!" called Isaac. The shadows deepened and torches brightened as the fury of the Djinn was unleashed. Mia's voice, echoing in an unsettling way, spoke confidently as she faced the disguised monster.  
  
"Water Power Rise! Mia Summons Mercury!" A blue spirit leapt out of nothingness, blasting a salvo of ethereal water bolts at the Mimic. It was knocked back by the blast, but leapt up again quickly.  
  
"Wind Power Rise! Ivan Summons Jupiter!" Heralded by the purple spectre, hails of wind blades slashed at the Mimic. Recovering more slowly, it began to cast Bind Psynergy on them, too slowly.  
  
"Fire Power Rise! Garet Summons Mars!" The red ghost sparked into being, took aim at the Mimic, and hurled itself forward into a tremendous flare.  
  
"Earth Power Rise! Isaac Summons Venus!" The Djinni soul dove into the ground, explosions following in its wake. The Mimic greyed out, and they breathed a sigh of relief. "I can never understand why Summoning takes it out of you so much. It's not as if we do the work."  
  
"Sure it is," Mia said. "We're the ones supplying the power that the Summons ride into existence."  
  
"Freeloaders," Garet muttered, leaning against the pillar.  
  
"Right, that's enough of a rest," said Isaac, ignoring the grumbled 'Rest?!' from Garet. "Let's keep moving." He started toward the sand- falls again, Bane following at his feet.  
  
"Great. How about I get down first?" called Ivan at the receding figures. "Hello?"  
  
  
  
"I should have stayed behind," Ivan muttered as they forded a sand river. The coarse powder was much worse than water in his opinion, and was going to require some serious beating to remove from his robes. "At least I could handle the ivy and the block puzzles. No-o, we have to walk through quicksand."  
  
"You didn't mind the Lamakan this much," said Isaac, typically happy when surrounded by his element. Ivan would have sworn that he had already crossed and gone back to do it again.  
  
"The Lamakan had Smog in the middle of it. Any place with Jupiter Djinn is okay with me."  
  
"That reminds me," Smog commented, hovering beside Ivan's head, "I still owe you a duel."  
  
"Of course," said Ivan, trying to pull his left leg out of the deep sand.  
  
"You know I only went with you right away because of the sandstorm."  
  
"Naturally."  
  
"I'm going to need to test your skill to make sure you're worthy of me."  
  
"I should think so."  
  
"If you want we could postpone it again."  
  
"Smog, ol' buddy?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Okey-dokey."  
  
On the other side of the sand river, they were faced with a maze of stepping block, all sticking up out of the shadows. Really deep pits also seemed to be on the architects' list of favourite trials. These, like all the others, were so huge that the bases of the pillars weren't even visible, only a void from which there was likely no return.  
  
"So? Who's first?" asked Garet, brightly. Mia shook her head, sighed, and stepped daintily onto the first pillar. And, in accordance with the rules of good narrative and heroes' luck, was immediately slashed at by a diving gryphon. It swooped upward again, and prepared for another buzz.  
  
The Angelic Ankh whooshed as it was swung through the air, bashing the gryphon off course with a quick blow to the head. It skidded to a halt and screeched angrily at the Adepts.  
  
"Ouch!" yelped Garet, covering his ears against the sonic onslaught. "That's not natural!"  
  
"No, it's not, but there are such things as acoustics," said Isaac, trying to concentrate enough to use Psynergy on it. "This is a big place, after all."  
  
"And that means you can hear it anywhere. Look!" yelled Ivan, pointing toward the arched ceiling. From a dozen hiding places, swarms of gryphons flew out, spiralling down toward the Adepts. Beaks snapped, talons glinted, and shrieking voices filled the air as the lethal flock fell upon their prey.  
  
"Hells bells..." Isaac muttered.  
  
  
  
End of Chapter One 


	2. Fighting A Losing Battle

Golden Sun Redux: Venus Lighthouse Chapter, Part 2  
  
  
  
"Plans, anyone?" asked Isaac as the gryphon flock fell upon them. Every second more of the green-feathered monsters flapped out of hiding in the vast ceiling of the Venus Lighthouse. Isaac drew his sword, but was well aware that they were fantastically out-numbered.  
  
"Scatter like roaches?" suggested Garet.  
  
"I like that one," Ivan commented as he prepared Plasma Psynergy.  
  
"What about Mia?" demanded Isaac, looking to where she leaned against her staff unsteadily on a pillar above the chasm. The gryphons were getting low enough to attack now, circling overhead and breaking off in clusters to make runs on the Adepts below.  
  
Isaac tapped into the Psynergy that charged through his mind and focused it, raining Clay Spires into the flapping mass. They were largely ineffective, though occasionally one struck a monster and dropped it toward the floor. Then the Silver Blade flashed as Isaac swept it at the stunned creature, but he cleaved only air and stone.  
  
Though not in a position for hand-to-hand combat, Mia did her best with a salvo of Ice Horn Psynergy, managing to wing enough of them that Ivan could successfully target a few with Shine Plasma.  
  
When the gryphons realised that they were facing heroes, not simple wanderers, they stepped up the assault. The corrupted birds formed into squadrons and flew low over the heads of their targets, firing wave after wave of Wing Stroke bolts.  
  
Garet leapt fearlessly, landing on the back of one of the creatures. It was on its way up, and anger fuelled its strength more than the added weight could drain it. The attacker was in for a ride few ever lived to remember, let alone tell about.  
  
Garet found himself being whipped about by heavy winds as the gryphon rose to the ceiling, swirled around a towering pillar, swooped through an arch, and - CRACK! -found itself stunned enough to consider reducing altitude.  
  
As he massaged his smashed knuckles, Garet noticed that his unwilling mount was falling at a tremendous speed, hurtling toward the floor without enough consciousness to brake. He rose to his feet, keeping a grip on the feathers, and cried out before leaping away: "Eruption!"  
  
Rolling to a halt, Garet looked back in time to see the scarlet energy beneath the gryphon explode into roiling twin columns of fire and magma, enveloping the space he had just been in. If it took that much force to bring down one of the creatures... Thirty feet away Isaac was trying to handle an entire squadron.  
  
Isaac took a swing at the first diving beast but missed his mark, and the second gryphon had a clear shot at his back. There was a rending sound and Isaac screamed in pain. He crumpled to the ground, barely retaining consciousness as waves of agony wracked his body.  
  
The gryphons fell upon Garet and he swore, realising that Isaac wasn't going to be able to lead them out of this battle. "Ivan, I want you to get Isaac and Mia out of here, back the way we came. Don't worry about me, just do it!" he snapped, cutting off any chance for argument.  
  
"Unleash Zephyr!" called Ivan, and purple winds swirled around him as he raced across the cold stone floor. Behind him, Garet concentrated and felt the power of Mars flow through him.  
  
"Everyone set?" he whispered, and in his mind a chorus of Djinni voices answered in the affirmative. Fire burned in his eyes as the Champion Garet looked up toward the cloud of snapping, screeching malevolence and raised his hand. "Inferno!"  
  
A storm of raging fireballs flared into life, circling the entire vast hall in a grand spiral before closing in on their targets. The fireballs condensed into a burning core at the centre of the gryphon flock and exploded, roasting all those who hadn't scattered as soon as the flames emerged.  
  
Garet wasn't fooling himself. It was a delaying tactic, not nearly strong enough to destroy such creatures. But Ivan had already grabbed Isaac and was leaping (with some difficulty) over to the pillar where Mia was slowly sinking to her knees.  
  
"Flare Storm!" With another gesture Garet sent a series of blazing sheets of sparks up around them, hoping to deter the gryphons from further attacks. And that was about it for Psynergy, unless he wanted to end up in worse condition than Isaac. Garet unslung the Righteous Mace from his belt and stood ready.  
  
"Do you think you can manage with one leg?" asked Ivan as he found a footing on the pillar.  
  
"Probably, if you can give me a little support. How's Isaac?" Ivan looked with apprehension at the injured Gallant. The slash really was an ugly wound, and Isaac's one consolation (if he had still been conscious) would have been that he couldn't see it.  
  
"Out cold. And I think-ugh. I know he's lost some blood. You've dealt with worse."  
  
"I've dealt with plague, but that doesn't mean I can cure it. Let's move," Mia suggested, and pulled herself up to lean on Ivan's shoulder. As soon as her hand touched his robes there was a flash of purple and a gust of wind; Zephyr had extended his power to Mia. "Great. The first person to hop at the speed of sound."  
  
"Consider the alternative," Ivan replied as they leapt ahead and a Wing Stroke demolished the pillar-top they had been standing on. Mia considered offering 'Hobbling at the speed of sound', but decided to save her breath and run for the door instead.  
  
The strength of a Champion in his muscles, Garet swung the Righteous Mace up and around, smashing into one of the gryphons and sending it careening into the wall. Several more took its place, diving at him with glittering talons and savage beaks.  
  
Garet found he was being driven back toward the wall and eventually into the corner, somewhere he definitely didn't want to be. Maybe a big enough explosion would be enough to take them out, and the others could escape. Of course, he didn't know what kind of explosion that would be. If he had known it, the word 'nuclear' would have popped into his head.  
  
As it was, Garet swung once, twice, too wide and got the mace stuck in the wall. He pulled with his significant power, but the gryphon's beak descended toward his neck-  
  
The next thing that occurred to Garet was that if he could get whatever was affecting his ears at that moment to happen on a large scale, it might be big enough. The thing after that was that he was travelling at such a fantastically unsafe speed that only Ivan could be responsible. The third and final thing was that he had just hurtled through a door and crashed into a wall, with the other Adepts piled on top.  
  
  
  
"Do you really think that was the best plan?" asked Mia when the rumbling stopped. The second Ivan's running tackle had carried all of them through the door, an onslaught of the gryphons' Twin Beaks attack had obliterated the doorway, leaving nothing but a broken, rocky barrier to mark its former place.  
  
"Not much else to do. It was the door or us. How hard did I hit him?" Mia bent over Garet, making a few quick checks for fractures or bleeding. She shook her head.  
  
"Nothing to worry about. I think it was sheer exhaustion." Ivan sighed in relief. "And slamming into a granite wall at high speed," Mia continued.  
  
"Shouldn't you be fixing up Isaac?" he asked sharply, switching topics at whiplash speed.  
  
"Yes, yes. You know, if you ever decide that adventuring isn't your thing, you might consider some kind of tackling sport. Like- great god of the north winds! I thought you said this wasn't too serious!"  
  
"I was wrong?"  
  
"Vertebral damage, and if I can see that you know it's bad - damage to the shoulder blade and ribs - blood loss ..." Mia's voice trailed off. "Water of Life. NOW!"  
  
"What? Why?" asked Ivan, but when Mia switched over to her crisis voice even a Manticore would listen, and he was already searching his pack for the liquid. "Here!" Mia snatched the flask of glittering golden fluid and started applying it to the injury.  
  
"Wild Gryphons were created through the potentially corrupting effects of Psynergy, right? So basically, they're as good as cursed. And if a cursed creature strikes at a Psynergetic organ, bad things happen due to interaction between-"  
  
"I don't want to know any more," Ivan said fervently. There was a flicker of blue light, and a Mercury Djinni appeared beside Mia. It caught sight of Isaac's condition.  
  
"Hot damn!" it exclaimed. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Right there, the vertebral- no, scratch that, stop the flow of blood. Unleash Fizz!"  
  
The sight of Fizz healing a bloody wound was far too much for Ivan to handle. Fighting nausea, he slumped back against the wall and closed his eyes. Outside it was probably dark, although the halls of Venus Lighthouse were permanently lit with the glow of red, yellow, and green torches.  
  
In all likelihood, Saturos and Menardi had already stopped for a time, or were busy with a similar horde of monsters. They were stronger than the Adepts, but maybe not by much. Considering the confrontation that Ivan was both hoping for and dreading tomorrow, they had better be prepared.  
  
  
  
It might have made Ivan feel a lot better to know that at that moment Saturos and Menardi were staring in disbelief and growing anger at five statues in the centre of the room.  
  
"HOW many combinations?" demanded Saturos, certain that he had misheard Sheba.  
  
"She said, 'one hundred and twenty'," Felix repeated, annoyed. "And I wouldn't use that tone of voice if you hoped to get any help from her in the future."  
  
"Surely we can use Psynergy to break through?" asked Menardi.  
  
"If there were a way to break down this door, I would have found it by now," Alex called from the alcove. "This is the Venus Lighthouse, after all."  
  
"Very well," Saturos relented. "Let's start shoving."  
  
  
  
End of Chapter Two  
  
  
  
This was something of an experiment in writing, so I hope everyone enjoyed it. While I don't think this part was as much fun (it was also too short), the third and final part of the Venus Lighthouse Chapter will be up within a week and should be good. Back to good old adventuring: the discovery of the Gaia Blade, the confrontation at the Aerie, and much more Djinn banter (my favourite part). 


	3. The Chosen's Sword

Golden Sun Redux: Venus Lighthouse Chapter, Part Three of Four  
  
  
  
Isaac wasn't one to bother with pointless questions. When he awoke, aching but no longer injured in one of the halls of the Venus Lighthouse, rather than in a Wild Gryphon's nest (in parts), he knew that the battle was either over or escaped from. Garet and Ivan were looking over the battered map of Gondowan and Angara that Isaac had brought all the way from Vale, chewing on the indestructible rations that were the only real food the Adepts could take from village to town. They seemed to be discussing the (in Garet's opinion) vastly unnecessary quantities of water in all directions from the Lighthouse.  
  
Mia, Isaac realised after not seeing her anywhere else, *was* the soft object he was leaning against. She was thoroughly absorbed in whatever book she was reading, but some suspicious (and more frequently happy than its cynical equivalents) part of Isaac's mind said she was waiting for him to wake up. Thanking whatever gods or goddesses were out there that Ivan needed to be at close range to read minds, he considered pretending to be asleep a little longer so that he wouldn't have to move.  
  
Though it depressed him greatly, that wasn't an option for anyone who knew what he knew; namely that Saturos and Menardi were very close to the summit of the Lighthouse and could be lighting it even now.  
  
"Right," said Isaac, cringing slightly as he stood up, "what important stuff did I miss?"  
  
"Some astonishing healing services as provided by Miss Mia of Imil," she said, standing up with a slight bow. "Good to see you're alive, Isaac." Isaac raised an eyebrow. He had never known Mia to tell a direct lie, but he felt he was missing something.  
  
"Astonishing like 'highly skilful', or astonishing 'wakes you up in the middle of the night'?" he asked.  
  
"I was hoping you wouldn't catch that," Mia admitted.  
  
"Both," Ivan supplied. "Apparently you went into metaphysical shock, whatever that is. You should be dead right now."  
  
"Dead?" repeated Isaac.  
  
"Yeah, dead. You know, the Water's going in but the Life's not coming out? Quartz would be about as useful if it were the Djinni *or* the mineral?" suggested Garet.  
  
"If I had any offensive abilities whatsoever..." said the Venus Djinni, who appeared on Isaac's shoulder with a spark. It sniffed at the air, catching the scent of breakfast. "That smells good."  
  
"Djinn don't eat," Isaac pointed out.  
  
"You're hungry, I'm hungry. You're tired, I'm tired. You're-" Quartz looked at Mia "-never mind. Let's get going before Saturos and Menardi light this baby."  
  
  
  
"What's next?" asked Garet as he tried to wipe Recluse fluids off his newly acquired Blessed Mace. "A foot-wide tunnel filling with quicksand? Maybe a Chimera family reunion?"  
  
Isaac gestured at the rune-inscribed stones set into the wall. "Do I look like I can read Lemurian?"  
  
"Lemurian?" repeated Ivan. "How do you know that?"  
  
"Educated guess," Isaac replied. "Ancient people with power over Alchemy, Psynergy, they live -or lived- nearby..."  
  
"No, you don't," Garet admitted, getting back to the first question, "but with that hair you don't look like a Lord, either. Appearances can be deceiving."  
  
"Actually, I've never reached Lord class," Isaac replied.  
  
"And you won't! Not until I say you're ready," Bane declared sagely.  
  
"Appearances..." said Ivan, repeating Garet. "Do you mean like when we first met Mia in Imil-" (Mia and Garet both covered their faces with their hands) "-and you didn't realise who she was, so you asked if she wanted to-"  
  
"Tell me, can you do a memory *delete*?" moaned Garet.  
  
"-so she hit you with her staff, and then you- hey, Bane, what's up?" The Venus Djinni had stopped at a crossroads, with three separate paths branching off. He looked from one to another, then the other, and back again.  
  
"There's something important here, but it was so long ago I don't remember which way. Ground! Vine! Get out here, you anklebiters!" A pair of sparks let two more identical-looking Djinn, who walked (a name only suitable because 'waddled' is too undignified) over to the elder.  
  
"Oh, right. This part," said Vine. "Uh, I'm not getting much of anything from thataway." It jabbed its tail at the leftmost door.  
  
"We're in the Venus Lighthouse and you're not picking up Psynergy form somewhere?" asked Ground, incredulous.  
  
"Of course I am, but we're also looking for-"  
  
"I know it's not that way, that one just loops around and drops you out the fourteenth floor window. Blasted young'uns. Luff!" called Bane.  
  
Purple light flickered and the Jupiter Djinni fluttered out of Ivan, muttering "One hour older and he thinks he's the flipping Patriarch of the Djinn. What?"  
  
"Which direction would repulse you the most?" asked Bane.  
  
"You know," Isaac commented, "I'm glad we don't get into these discussions any more."  
  
"Amen and salaam," Garet agreed fervently.  
  
"Are you sure about that?" persisted Bane.  
  
"Of course I'm sure!" said Luff, and leapt shuddering back into Ivan. Vine and Ground also retreated. Bane nodded in approval at the chosen door, the rightmost.  
  
"Good. This way to the weapons of mass destruction!" called Bane.  
  
"Wahoo!" exclaimed Isaac, and rushed down the corridor. The others followed him, finding that in this section the architects had given up on the almost cheery green walls, in favour of a low, pitch black tunnel. No, not truly pitch black. Pitch black would have been better. The walls here glistened with some kind of algae and unwell-looking vines in the almost- darkness.  
  
"Do you think maybe we've found the sewer connection here? Or compost chute?" asked Garet.  
  
"Well, if there *is* some special weapon this way, what better way to keep people out than making it disgusting? Monsters you can kill, puzzles you can solve, but what does one do about- blagh! What is this stuff?" exclaimed Ivan as an anonymous sludge dripped onto his robes.  
  
"If you must know... The Venus Psynergy in the Lighthouse is usually mixed up just fine. But to make what were heading toward, you have to shift things a bit. Push away some of the plant life Psynergy and you end up with a concentration of rock-focused power," said Bane. He looked back at the others, and (because of the lack of light) made a guess at their confused expressions. "Stomp your foot twice if you're getting any of this," he added tersely.  
  
"I'm afraid of what I'd step in," Isaac replied.  
  
"Speaking of which, how long until we get out of the Sewer of Eternal Midnight anyway?" asked Mia. "You know what this place needs?" she continued after a moment. "A good Deluge."  
  
"As I was trying to say," Bane went on, "we're in a sort of plant- exclusive Psynergy bubble, surrounding an area of rock-focused Venus. That's why we've got all this ivy and suchlike. Yes, this looks like it. Hmm. Jupiter Boy, we need a Whirlwind right about there."  
  
"Why do I put up with this?" muttered Ivan, stepping toward Bane's voice.  
  
"Fate of the world," Mia murmured.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Whirlwind!" The twister rent the clutching vines and blew most of the algae off the wall, leaving a clear space that looked just like all the other walls.  
  
"Please tell me you haven't got us lost in some Lemurian sewer," Garet groaned.  
  
"For the last time, it's not a sewer!" snapped Bane. "Ivan, we need your true sight."  
  
"Sometimes I feel like a Rent-An-Adept. You ever get that?" Isaac just raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah. Reveal!" In their newly lit vision, the Adepts saw a concealed door appear. They stepped into the deeper shadows it held with some reluctance, and...  
  
"Ow!" yelped Isaac, shielding his eyes. "That's bright!" The others followed and had similar reactions, surprised by the bright, cavernous hall before them.  
  
"Well, it wouldn't do much good to have a hidden door that let in light, would it?" asked Bane, smirking. "And unless I'm much mistaken, we might have a shortcut here, too. But first..."  
  
"Isaac can do this one," said Ivan, his eyes recovered from the darkness. He stared out at a wide open space, which ended sharply in a wall about a hundred feet away, then turned horizontal again maybe ten feet up. The floor in the first space, on the other hand, was anything but smooth. It was a dense maze of canals, all filled with fast-moving currents of sand that branched and bent and merged again.  
  
"Oh no you don't. We'll need everyone for this," said Bane. He hobbled over to one of the Venus statues that were so common in here- a robed woman holding a sprig of leaves. With surprising agility, Bane leapt to the top of its head and turned to look out over the sand trenches. "Flint!"  
  
The Venus Djinni materialised and landed beside Bane, and noticed the room they were in. "Oh, this place. Wow, I remember this room. Fun times. You'll be wanting directions?" Bane stared at the younger Djinni, unmoving in his attitude.  
  
"Stop doing that. You'll scare the locals."  
  
"The locals tend toward massive fangs and talons focused on ripping us to shreds."  
  
"Right. Hop into that one," Flint directed.  
  
Isaac and the other, more reluctant Adepts stepped over to the starting point Flint had indicated. Isaac leapt into the sand standing up and was immediately pulled to the ground by his feet, which had decided to get going without him. On his back, Isaac shot down the canal like a torpedo with emotional issues. The sand was by no means calm, and kept him tumbling all the way into the wall. Though Isaac didn't move much for several moments, the current started carrying him to the left.  
  
"You expect us to do that? Knowing that we've already seen what it's like?" asked Ivan, incredulous. Bane said nothing, just kept staring at Ivan with his still-stony expression. Silently and without taking his eyes off the Djinni, Ivan sidestepped into the sand and hurtled down the chute.  
  
Garet looked at Mia. "Oh well," he said, and cleared his throat a few times. He then turned and leapt into the sand, speeding off on his stomach and screaming like a volunteer in a questionable nerve gas experiment. Taking more care than the others, Mia walked into the sand upright. In a crouch, supported by her staff (which also acted as a rudder), she managed to stay standing as she slid downward.  
  
Isaac was now finding that the path was not nearly as linear as he expected, and was glad to hear Flint start calling out directions. "Right at the next split!" called the Venus Djinni. "Now right again... left... right - YOUR OTHER RIGHT!" *Crunch*. "You're okay, rise above it! U-turn and then left!" WHAM! "Turn faster next time!"  
  
"Are we going somewhere, or is this just wasting time, Flint?" demanded Garet.  
  
"Oh, stop it. You're almost halfway, and then that'll release the Thunder Lizard. Hmm. Wish I had remembered that sooner. Anyway, water under the bridge. Oh, there it is," Flint called.  
  
"Where?" called Isaac, his eyes searching to find the trapdoor in the wall. With a foreshadowing thump, something shook the floor ahead of him. Isaac turned to see an unnecessarily big indigo lizard opening its jaws. With the strength of sheer terror, he leapt upright. Tactics raced through Isaac's mind.  
  
(Jump now, step on its lower jaw, ow - ignore the teeth through your boots, up to the forehead LEAP!) Isaac sailed through the air, his last jump being powered up by the Thunder Lizard's rearing head as it tried to catch him. He landed some distance ahead on the beast's other side and kept sliding.  
  
Ivan hit the corner and -once he had shaken off the impact- saw the fanged monster ahead of him. With a cry of "FlintI'mgoingtokillyou!" he was struck in the chest by a backhand claw and crashed headfirst into a random canal section. A few seconds later Garet followed.  
  
Ivan pulled his head out of the sand and heard Garet growl "Right then!" The fire of Champions flared in his eyes as Garet pulled on the Turtle Boots and stood. With the great weight and balance afforded by the footwear, he was able to resist the pull of the sand and begin marching toward the Lizard.  
  
Isaac was on the final section of the trenches. He was hurtling to the end at considerable speed when a Boulder Beast landed behind him. There was a small area of floor space at the canal's end, followed by a wall. In a few moments Isaac was going to hit it, and when the Beast followed up with Dynamite he was going to become the new paint job.  
  
Preparing for the final crash, Isaac spun around and slammed into the wall back first. He pulled out his Mirror Shield and stabbed it into the tiles of the floor, then tried to get as well behind it as possible. A blazing glow and apocalyptic shake told him that he had just succeeded in applying what would one day come to be known as the bug-and-windshield technique. Isaac stood and wrenched his shield out of the floor, checked to see that the others were okay, and started climbing the wall's handholds. He then spun around again, his quick check having finally registered.  
  
Mia was stuck between millions of really tiny rocks and a very sharp place. Her Crystal Rod was wedged between the Thunder Lizard's jaws, and was her only anchor to keep from being driven down its throat by the sand. "I have come way too far to be someone's lunch now! Unleash Sleet!"  
  
The Mercury Djinni leapt into being, a blue spirit that blasted freezing, wet snow into the Thnuder Lizard's gaping maw. Its throat convulsed a few times, and it spat the snow out again as a sort of cold, sticky sludge.  
  
"That's disgusting!" screamed Mia, dripping. "Ice Horn!" The ice daggers bounced ineffectually off the Thunder Lizard's hide, doing nothing more than annoying it.  
  
Isaac scaled the wall quickly, and found at the top a guardian statue. It was of the same sort that had given them the water-walk power at Mercury Lighthouse, or opened the paths here at Venus. It was smaller, though, and in its hands held a treasure chest.  
  
"If that's a Mimic it's going to regret that I was ever born," Isaac muttered, and opened it.  
  
"What's with this thing?" called Garet as he smashed a claw out of the way.  
  
"It's a Thunder Lizard, right? It's only weak to Venus Psynergy," Ivan explained, and backflipped out of its range with the power of a Magister. He could dodge it easily enough with all the Jupiter Djinn set to him, but fighting it was still a problem.  
  
"Well, we seem to be handling it all right so far," said Mia, unintentionally invoking the presence of the Dark God of Irony. Somewhere in the back of the Thunder Lizard's throat, a faint glow began to sparkle.  
  
"Mia, get away from there!" warned Ivan.  
  
"If I could-" she began, and then she noticed the glow as well. Adrenaline gave her the extra strength to wrench the Rod from between the monster's fangs, and Mia fell back into the sand. With a little extra dexterity she managed to slip under the Thunder Lizard and let the current do the rest.  
  
The twisted creature chose that moment to unleash its Thunder Blessing, a bolt of lightning that superheated a swath of the scenery into wreckage. Surprised at its failure to deep-fry anyone, it lashed out angrily at everything that moved.  
  
"This is not healthy!" yelled Garet, dodging a bolt. "We've got to stop it!" Ivan stood on one foot as he slid backwards down the trench, then switched to the other as he started in another direction. It was a twisted path, but for simplicity let's say he moved full circle, and came around toward the Thunder Lizard again. Leap, flip, and smash- but the Zodiac Staff was as useless as a light breeze.  
  
"Beating it senseless isn't working!" reported Ivan.  
  
"Clear the area, please," said Isaac, calmly. In his hand a shining sword seemed to be drawing in the light around it. "It's time we finished here." Garet saw the earthbrand and immediately fell into the sand, letting it carry him away. The others did the same and Isaac raised the sword over his head, and the light rocketed upward, leaving it a simple shining Gaia Blade. The light coalesced, and Isaac spoke.  
  
"TITAN BLADE!"  
  
A vast Psynergy sword fell out of the brightness and struck the Thunder Lizard, releasing a fountain of Venus power from the floor. It drove all the way through and vanished, along with the monster. The only sound in the hall was that of rushing sand.  
  
"Kind of makes you feel sorry for Saturos and Menardi, knowing that they're up against us," Garet said eventually.  
  
"Not really," Mia decided. "They did try to kill us." More silence. "But you may have a point."  
  
  
  
"Great," said Bane, as they entered the room. "This is it. The Seal of the Lighthouse. If we can break it, we're at the top."  
  
"That means Saturos and Menardi are already there!" exclaimed Isaac.  
  
"Yes, but you can't just throw the Star in, you know. There are preparations. Now let's get figuring. Well, I say 'let's'. You people do it. I've had enough." Bane returned to Isaac, and the Adepts were alone. Five statues were in the room, one each of yellow, red, blue, green, and purple. Obviously they had to be arrayed properly to open the door. Ivan made some quick calculations.  
  
"One hundred and twenty possibilities. That's going to take a lot of pushing," he said.  
  
"No, whoever built the Lighthouse wouldn't do it like that. It's going to be something that makes sense. What we need to do is figure out what the colours mean," Isaac suggested.  
  
"What do you mean, 'mean'?" asked Garet. "Honestly. All these monsters, I can handle. But shoving this in at the end?"  
  
"Well, what would the world be like if the strongest could go wherever they wanted and the intelligent were powerless?" retorted Mia.  
  
"Garet could work with that. He'd be the one with power, after all," Ivan commented.  
  
"Okay, what do you think, Isaac?" asked Garet, switching topics.  
  
"Well, the one in the middle will probably be the 'central' thing, right? Let's assume they mean the elements. This one's yellow, which either means Venus or Sol. Probably Sol, because then green could mean Venus," Isaac explained. "And even if it is Venus, we're in the Venus Lighthouse."  
  
"So then yellow goes in the middle, because Sol is the element of Alchemy," Garet finished, warming to the subject. "The red one is probably Mars, and Saturos once said he was part of the Fire Clan of the North, didn't he? So let's put red at the north point."  
  
"We'll save you from being a rock-headed brute yet, Garet," Mia commented. "Mercury is also associated with north, where it's cold, so let's put it at the other northern part."  
  
"You realise that the chances of all these assumptions working are hundreds to one," Ivan stated.  
  
"Yep," Isaac replied, hauling against the green statue.  
  
"And it's going to work anyway, isn't it?"  
  
"You bet."  
  
"Because 'we're us', as Garet likes to say?"  
  
"That's the one."  
  
"Good. We've searched all of Gondowan and Angara without finding the Jupiter Lighthouse, so I bet it's west, across the Great River," Ivan suggested.  
  
"Which leaves south for Venus, which and also puts the elements into symbiotic and opposing pairs," Isaac said, and pushed the statue into position. It clicked, and absolutely nothing happened. "Hmm. Maybe not."  
  
"I don't get it. It all makes sense, and everything fits in just fine..." Mia said. The Adepts stared at the array of statues for a few minutes. "Maybe we should start shoving."  
  
"Wait," said Garet, a huge grin on his face "If Jupiter is south and west, the Mars Lighthouse is probably west of Mercury, not east. Switch 'em." Isaac nodded, pulled the robed figures around, and into their new places.  
  
The door opened as though simply pushed by a light breeze, and the Adepts stepped through wordlessly. Wordlessly, of course, because as soon as they stepped into the darkness they fell through the gap where the floor wasn't and onto a hovering platform, which began to rise.  
  
In a cloud of flickering lights, they arrived. Stairs led up to a sort of plateau, the statues of the Venus Sages stood in a ring, surrounding a perfectly circular void. Around the edge of the shaft stood their best friends and worst foes. And with them, their fate.  
  
  
  
End of Part Three  
  
  
  
Okay, okay, I know I said this would be the last part. I also said it would be up last week. Why not? Because I realised this is just FF.net and I can't possibly be held accountable. Kidding- I really meant it to be both, but the Thunder Lizard battle was longer than expected. Also, while I am well aware that the statue seal isn't even in Venus Lighthouse, I like it there, so there it will be. Expect part four (The Psynergy of the Heart) within a week. Really! Also, I'll gladly take suggestions on the next part to be Reduxed along with any reviews you might wish to drop off. Ja mata ne! 


	4. Psynergy Of The Heart

Golden Sun Redux: Venus Lighthouse Chapter, Part 4  
  
  
  
"That's it then," Saturos reported. "You can go now, Felix. We'll take it from here." He walked in a slow circle around the lighthouse well, staring into depths appraisingly. After a full round, he looked up again. "You're still here."  
  
"I won't leave without Sheba," Felix replied, and didn't move. Sheba stood -understandably terrified- at his side, holding onto Felix's green cloak.  
  
"Did we say she couldn't leave?" asked Menardi, attempting in vain to straighten out some of the knots in her masses of yellow hair.  
  
"You mean I can take her with me?" asked Felix, surprised.  
  
"No, I was just pointing out that we hadn't said so yet. Saturos, you really should catch these things sooner. Is it ready to be lit, yet?"  
  
"I won't leave Sheba here where she could get hurt, Menardi. She is my responsibility!"  
  
"Yes, it's a bit strange that you've decided that. You really should get going to Jenna and Kraden at Idejima. Alex hates waiting- he tends to take it out on people around him." Saturos was studying the statues of the Venus Sages now, tapping the ever-vital leaves of the branches they held.  
  
"You're scum, Saturos," Felix snarled.  
  
"Watch yourself, boy!" growled Saturos, and he began drawing Mars Psynergy into his hand. The air sparked with the promise of conflagration.  
  
"Hold it right there!" All four of the Adepts spun to see where this command had come from, and even Sheba found herself focusing offensive Psynergy before she saw who it was.  
  
"Hold it right there..." Garet muttered. "We've been climbing this lighthouse for about eight decades and the best you could manage was 'hold it right there'?"  
  
"Shut up, Garet," Isaac said amiably. He tossed the Gaia Blade into the air, where it spun three times, gleamed in the sunlight, and fell back into his hand. "Menardi, hand over the Elemental Stars or I will beat you into molé. Unless of course Saturos has them, in which case just switch the names around. And either way, let Sheba go."  
  
"You didn't really think this part through, did you?"  
  
"Shut *up*, Garet," Isaac hissed through a confident smile. Saturos and Menardi exchanged a look, and then both turned to Felix and Sheba. Isaac began tapping his foot impatiently.  
  
"Sheba," called Menardi, sweet as a sugar cobra, "these Adepts here have a rod of power. Could you tell us if it's the one for Jupiter Lighthouse?" Sheba, trembling, opened her mouth but couldn't manage to speak. "NOW!"  
  
"Stop yelling at her!" commanded Felix. "Isaac, this doesn't concern you. You should leave."  
  
"Not yet he shouldn't. Sheba, you know what we mean. Is it the one?" asked Saturos.  
  
"I think so," Sheba managed. "It feels like the right one."  
  
"Then everything is just fine. Isaac, do you know what I want to ensure Sheba's safety?" asked Saturos.  
  
"A new hairstylist?" suggested Isaac.  
  
"The Shaman's Rod," Ivan realised. "I didn't understand before, but of course- the Rod opens the way to Jupiter Lighthouse, doesn't it? It must have belonged to those Adepts that brought me to Hammet. No wonder he left me to get it back in Vault..."  
  
"Yes, yes, all very revelatory. Now get on with it. Which is more important to you: protecting Sheba or keeping us out of Jupiter Lighthouse?" Saturos smiled, a sight equivalent to several hours of water torture or a hot coal dropped down the back of your shirt.  
  
"Your call, Ivan," Isaac whispered. The air was thick as loam with tension.  
  
"If it means saving Sheba, I guess I don't have much of a choice," Ivan admitted. He drew out the Shaman's Rod, which was vibrating slightly in the presence of so much Venus Psynergy.  
  
"Go get it, Felix," Menardi ordered, nodding in the direction of the Rod. He began to protest, but Menardi cut him off. "To prove your loyalty. And no, we don't already trust you, considering how often you defy us. Do it!"  
  
Felix lashed out an arm angrily, and from it a ghostly hand was projected. The Catch Psynergy grasped the Shaman's Rod and pulled it back to Felix, who had been glaring at Menardi the entire time.  
  
"Now, take Sheba to Idejima and meet up with Alex," Saturos commanded. "We'll follow."  
  
"What?!" demanded Mia and Felix in unison.  
  
"You said you would let her go," Mia continued, angrily.  
  
"You're letting me go?" asked Felix, surprised.  
  
"Of course not and of course, respectively," said Saturos. "I said she would be safe. But Sheba's fate would hardly be certain alone at the top of the Venus Lighthouse. So she will go with Felix, safely."  
  
"What do you mean, 'alone'?" asked Isaac, defiantly. "She would have us to - oh, hell."  
  
"How succinct. Yes, I have no intention of letting you four go free, in any case. Felix, get moving!" snapped Saturos. Felix started turning toward the platform, but turned back immediately.  
  
"No. I can't let you face them alone."  
  
"Do you mean you want to help us, or you want to protect them? Surely it would disturb you to see your childhood friends perish?" Menardi grinned humourlessly, like a lurking snake. Felix was silent for several moments.  
  
"You shouldn't have done this, Isaac. I won't interfere at all in this battle, for or against you. At least for now you can be certain that Sheba is safe, whatever happens to you." Felix turned and walked down from the platform, one arm protectively hanging on to Sheba.  
  
"I suppose, then," Saturos commented, "that it's time for battle." With an almost melodic hiss, he drew an elegant long sabre from its sheath. Menardi's own scimitar was far less pleasant, reddened as though it had been forged until it bled. "As a courtesy to a lesser opponent, you may make the first move."  
  
"Saturos," said Isaac, as the others drew their weapons, "I'm almost going to enjoy making you regret ever saying that."  
  
He looked to the other Adepts- his allies, his friends. This would be a terrible battle, but not one of them would ever choose to stand by in safety and watch such a thing happen as what these two planned. Isaac looked back to their opponents, and stared straight into Saturos' eyes.  
  
"Unleash the fury of the Djinn!"  
  
"Unleash Fever!" called Garet, and leapt forward. The Mars Djinni focused his power on Garet's Blessed Mace, turning it into a flaming metal comet. Saturos' sabre didn't even appear to move- it was simply in position, clashing against the mace's shaft.  
  
"Unleash Gust!" yelled Ivan, and the Jupiter Djinni appeared. It slashed at Menardi with a concentrated blast of wind, which she twisted and dodged. Ivan came around with the second stroke, his Zodiac Staff singing through the air.  
  
"Unleash Sleet!" shouted Mia, and from her Mercury Djinni a torrent of snow rained forth, drenching their opponents. Both buckled in the onslaught, but stood mostly unharmed when it ended.  
  
"Oh, now you're getting personal," Menardi growled. "Inferno!"  
  
"Flare Storm!" echoed Saturos, and his own Mars Psynergy burst forth. As tremendous fireballs swept through the air and crashed into the Lighthouse' surface, vast gouts of flame dashed along the air currents. The very atmosphere was like an oven.  
  
"Unleash Breeze!" From Ivan the Djinni rose, wrapping the Adepts in soothing pockets of air. It was some protection against the searing flames, and Isaac took the opportunity to take a charge at Saturos.  
  
"Mad Blast!" Saturos raised a hand toward Isaac and detonated a charge of Psynergy. Isaac flew backwards, rolling over and landing in a crouch. He heard 'Unleash Fizz!' and felt the scorching pain fade as he was healed. Standing fully, he found Mia beside him.  
  
"Thanks," Isaac gasped, rubbing his formerly blasted chest. "Stay back and work on healing, will you? I don't want to see you get hurt." The obvious meaning behind his words reverberated in Isaac's mind like thunder, but Mia didn't seem to notice in the middle of battle.  
  
"Hell no?" she suggested, and hefted the Crystal Rod. Sighing, Isaac followed her back into the fray. Just as they got within striking range of their opponents, Saturos and Menardi leapt back from the melee, and spoke the words that focused their Psynergy: 'Eruption!' The Aerie exploded like a minefield, launching the Adepts in all directions.  
  
"You okay, Garet?" called Isaac, coughing and wheezing in the sulphurous air.  
  
"Starting to get bitchy, Isaac."  
  
"I know what you mean.  
  
"Unleash Forge!" Isaac knew that he and the others had picked up a lot of battle experience throughout their adventure, but whatever training Saturos had still blew them away. What Isaac expected to be a perfect slash missed by just a millimetre when he pulled back, and the time it took for Isaac to withdraw the blade was enough for Saturos to deal a bone-shaking strike against Isaac's Dragon Scales.  
  
"Unleash Mist!" Ivan was the fastest on his feet in the group, and he knew that, but Menardi was putting his skills to the test. He swung the Zodiac Staff around and clipped Menardi around the head, but a flicker of motion later Ivan was clutching at a shallow stab in his shoulder. Rolling sideways away from the scimitar he tried to trip her up, but Menardi's next hit was with the pommel and Ivan had to fight just to stay conscious.  
  
"Unleash Zephyr!" Mia wasn't a fighter by nature, she knew. But what Saturos and Menardi planned to do could not be allowed, and so she had been forced to do battle. And Hermes help her, she enjoyed it. This wasn't some hidden virus, these were great big concentrations of cruelty that were a lot easier to find, and it was immensely satisfying to jab the end of the Crystal Rod into Saturos stomach and see his eyes bug out like that.  
  
"Unleash Corona!" Protected by a glowing shield Garet struck at Menardi, and was disappointed to find that she wasn't there any more. Ivan rolled past, his robe smoking from some flaming attack, and Garet shook his head. Warding off Menardi with a backhand, he heard the Blessed Mace howl and begin to glitter. Bright yellow sparks rained off it as he healed Ivan, who stood again and, with an acknowledging nod for the aid, took another swing at Menardi.  
  
"Unleash Smog!" Isaac had been, with his spare nanoseconds, trying to keep an eye on the battle with Menardi. He was surprised to see, as Ivan rose from a severe smackdown, Menardi look puzzled by the Blessed Mace's healing powers. So puzzled that she failed to dodge the Djinni-reinforced counter attack that Ivan followed up with. Isaac grabbed Mia by the shoulder and pulled her back from the battle, since Saturos was now busy with Garet.  
  
"They've never seen weapon Psynergy before!" exclaimed Isaac. "That's why Menardi didn't understand what was happening!"  
  
"What? Come on, we've been using it since I joined you guys," Mia stated.  
  
"Yes, Mercury Lighthouse, which was also the last time we saw these freaks of nature."  
  
Mia smiled like an ancient predator with anti-personnel missiles. "Let's screw with their heads."  
  
"Shining Star!" called Ivan, who had heard their exchange. From the Zodiac Staff he launched a salvo of starry blasts which strafed the space around Menardi. She reeled from the blast, and Garet struck while she was still recovering.  
  
"Drown!" sang Mia over the howl of her Crystal Rod. It released a torrent of water, which flooded the Aerie before spilling over the edges. Saturos and Menardi rose from the deluge with expressions like demons with allergies.  
  
"I know everyone's always talking about hidden depths, but would it kill you to stay deep? Titan Blade!" Isaac's Gaia Blade shone with stunning brightness and howled, bringing down a vast Psynergy sword. From the point where it stabbed into the Lighthouse a fountain of Venus power exploded forth.  
  
"What do you say, Saturos?" asked Menardi.  
  
"I say we make them wish their parents had never even considered having children," he replied.  
  
"I agree." In unison, they struck. "Pyroclasm!" Tremendous power gathered, preparing to blow the Adepts into charred atoms. But the fury of the Djinn could not be undone.  
  
The fire burst upward, engulfing the Adepts in its incinerating embrace, and Saturos smiled for just a second before the flames divided, split by the sacred firewall as Garet called out "Flash!" From the mind-burning core of the twin Pyroclasms the Adepts stepped forth, looking all the more impressive for the scorch marks that blackened them.  
  
"Impossible!" he rasped.  
  
"Not impossible," Garet corrected him. "Just very, very unlikely. And those aren't even close to being the same thing."  
  
"Unleash Kite!" called Ivan, and he split into two, slightly faded images of himself. It wasn't easy to control this power, but well worth the effort. One called out 'Luff!' as the other yelled 'Squall!' A seal locked in around Menardi, blocking her Psynergy, as a bolt of crackling electricity struck Saturos.  
  
"Unleash Ember!" shouted Garet, and the fire of passion restored the Adepts' Psynergy. He charged at Saturos and Menardi, leapt over and past them with only a blast of 'Scorch!' to keep them busy, and landed perfectly on the other side. "Torch!" A burning heat filled the air and from the spirit of a Mars Djinni flames leapt up around Saturos and Menardi. Only annoying, really, but the perfect setup for Mia.  
  
"Unleash Spritz!" and with her words she healed the injuries they had suffered. "Tonic!" cleared away the choking smoke and vapours that hung in the air. A wild blast from Menardi knocked Ivan off his feet, but a call of "Dew!" healed him before it caused permanent damage. And then she cried out "Hail!" and a storm of ice crashed into Saturos and Menardi. They fell and could not fully stand again.  
  
"Go for it, Isaac," Garet whispered in the heavy silence.  
  
"What? I... even after all this-" Isaac stuttered.  
  
"Pitiful," Saturos sneered. "I was right about you, Isaac of Vale. You aren't the type to finish anyone off, are you? The warrior with morals, the soldier for peace. Pathetic."  
  
"I suppose you're right, Saturos. I'm not one to finish people off," Isaac admitted. "But I am the type to make sure as hell you never hurt anyone again. Mother Gaia!" From the depths Lighthouse well, a great glow arose, blossoming into an explosion of Venus power as it reached the Aerie. The light faded.  
  
"That's it, then," said Ivan after a time. "We're done here."  
  
"You think that's enough to finish us off? You're more foolish than I thought, if that's possible," said Menardi, attempting to stand. Saturos did the same.  
  
"Maybe not, but you sure can't keep fighting," Garet said. Saturos reached into his armor.  
  
"Not right now. But we'll be just fine once I do this," he replied calmly, and, as though discarding a useless object, tossed the Venus Star over his shoulder and into the well. Isaac's heart seized up as something Bane had said echoed in his mind. 'You can't just throw it in, you know.'  
  
"They threw it in," Isaac whispered.  
  
"They threw it in?!" echoed Bane, somewhere in his head.  
  
"And now," Menardi went on, "that wonderful symbiosis of Venus and Mars will take its effect. Ready, Saturos?" She took his hand.  
  
"Of course," Saturos replied graciously, and he started to glow. Psynergy rained off them like dew off a shaken tree in the fog. And they began to meld.  
  
The strange thing- twin and yet one -rose high above the Adepts, changing from human to something far more terrible as it grew. The sky above the Lighthouse filled with blood red clouds and lightning flashed in the sky. A low quake, like thunder in the earth, rolled out from the tower's base. The glow subsided from the twisted thing, and the tremendous beast called the Fusion Dragon roared a battle cry.  
  
"They began this..." Isaac whispered to the others, never taking his eyes off the monster, "but we'll finish it. They don't know what they're up against." The other Adepts nodded, and they took a combat stance.  
  
"Quake Sphere!" "Flare Storm!" "Tempest!" "Glacier!" Psynergy crashed through the sky, smashing and burning, slashing and freezing the great beast. It barely twitched when the maelstrom struck it, and when the attacks ceased it looked at them with malevolence unimagined.  
  
"Dark Blessing!" Both heads swung back, then snapped forward like a whip and released a gout of deadly blackness. The cloud moved like the fogs of death, choking and sapping and poisoning the air.  
  
When it cleared, Isaac continued coughing for a few moments before turning to Garet, Ivan, and Mia. "It's time for the Summonings. Hit... it, them, whatever, with all three before it can react, and I'll see what I can do."  
  
"Fire Power Rise! Garet Summons Meteor!" From the scarlet sky a massive flaming sphere fell, striking the Aerie and exploding with unstoppable force into a great column of fire.  
  
"Wind Power Rise! Ivan Summons Thor!" An ancient rune carved itself in coruscating lightning in the sky and fell, transforming into the thunder god when it struck. From his hammer an awesome bolt of lightning arced across the air and discharged its power into the Fusion Dragon.  
  
"Does it disturb any of you that it's not looking much worse for the wear?" asked Mia. She was answered with a series of expectant looks, finally snapped. "All right, all right, I'm doing it!"  
  
"Water Power Rise! Mia Summons Boreas!" The iron lord of the North Winds broke free of his icy shell and breathed arctic wrath upon the Fusion Dragon. Snow and ice built up in a great prison before being shattered by a single concentrated bolt of cold energy.  
  
"Do you ever get the feeling that he's spitting on our enemies, and it just happens to freeze on the way down?" asked Garet. "How was that, Saturos? Cold enough for ya?"  
  
The dragon staggered, its eyes locking onto Mia. "Indeed, she possesses great power to harm us. This is unacceptable," it growled.  
  
"Not a lot you can do about it," Ivan called back.  
  
"You would be surprised, little one." And with impossible speed a claw lashed out, gathering Psynergy power as it swung, to make one perfect, lethal stab.  
  
Mia collapsed, and drew no breath.  
  
For a few moments, Isaac did the same. Then he rushed to her side, searching, hoping for some sign of life. There was none.  
  
"No," he whispered. "No, this isn't possible."  
  
"Not impossible, mortal. Just very, very unlikely," growled the dragon, grinning maliciously.  
  
"No!" said Isaac again, and this time through tears. "Mia, come on. Please..." She was still, and silent. No beat of her heart came through, no sudden intake of breath. Only the quiet stoniness of that which is gone.  
  
"Damn it, this is pointless!" he yelled, tears still on his face. "What does it all matter?! Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Alchemy- who cares?!" Then he whispered once more: "It's worthless. It can't solve real problems, it can't make everything better... There's nothing there, it's just heroes and villains and fighting and death..."  
  
"No, Isaac, there's more to it than that," said Bane, who was suddenly by his side. "But for now, that's not the important part. This is: you do have the power. The final step to becoming a Lord is knowing that you have limits too, knowing that Psynergy can't solve all your problems." He breathed deeply, the sound of the old man suddenly realising how long his life has been. "Bane Allies with Isaac." In a flash of yellow light Bane vanished and joined with Isaac's soul, Setting himself as a channel for new power. "Go for it."  
  
Slowly, a crooked, sad smile appeared on Isaac's face. And in his eyes glowed the power of the Lords of ages past. He raised one hand, and carefully placed it on Mia's chest, just below her neck.  
  
"Revive."  
  
Light leapt up, shining in the darkness of the Aerie. It swirled through the air and burst in great tiered fountains around them. Glowing wings shot out of Isaac's back, making him appear as though an angel for just a moment. Then the feathers of light flew off, spiralling around and settling onto Mia's body. There they flashed and disappeared, and her eyes...  
  
In an instant they snapped open, feeling the rush of new life in a mind old enough to understand it. Above Mia's face, Isaac smiled as light glinted off the trails of extinct tears. "Quiet," he whispered. Turning slightly to face the stunned figures of Ivan and Garet as well, he said cheerfully: "Don't move. I'll be right back."  
  
Isaac stood, grinning helplessly as he drew the Gaia blade again and walked toward the Fusion Dragon. "Good attempt, I'll give you that. Unleash Flint!" Strength that would break rocks filled his arms as Isaac slashed the Fusion Dragon.  
  
"Mia had the power to hurt you, and the power to heal us. Granite!" he called as it unleashed the Dragon Driver against them. The auras split the flames easily, protecting the Adepts.  
  
"But somehow I don't think you were quite expecting my reaction to work the way it has. I admit what I thought first was that there was no way out-" A stabbing claw carved at Isaac's side, but he called out at the same instant "Quartz!"  
  
"Yet that's not quite the way I work. Hope is something that isn't easy to beat. Vine!" As the Dragon opened its mouths to fire another Dragon Driver, vines shot out of the Aerie, wrapped around the two heads and tied them closed.  
  
"And of course, fighting to avenge those you loved is good, but it's a lot easier to fight for those you have to protect. Sap!" A vision of Isaac's mother back in Vale, waiting and hoping that her son would come back, victorious, appeared in his head as he drew energy from the dragon.  
  
The vine-bonds snapped, and the Fusion Dragon roared: "Outer Space!" It leapt into the sky, preparing to come crashing down like the flames of Armageddon. Or at least, tried to.  
  
"Ground!" A gravity well pulled the monster back down, holding it from any motion. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... you can't beat me. Not now or ever again. Bane!" he cried, and plunged the Gaia Blade deep into the beast's flesh. A debilitating venom spread through it, attacking from within. The dragon reared back, screaming as it struck down toward Isaac with all the destructive power it could manage.  
  
"Earth Power Rise!" The dragon still fell, flames brewing and claws glinting, oblivion rushing downward unstoppably. "Isaac Summons Judgment!"  
  
Time stopped. Everything froze as the red clouds parted and revealed clear blue sky. And through it flew an archangel, armored in blue with golden wings. A shield was raised, its face the shape of a lion's head, and power gathered into it. From the lion's mouth a star shot toward the earth, striking the Venus Lighthouse at its top. A sphere of light blazed outward, its awesome force cleansing all its touched.  
  
The light faded, and the world began moving again. Saturos and Menardi collapsed, and fell into the well of the Lighthouse. Isaac lowered his sword.  
  
"You did it," said Felix, standing with Sheba at the edge of the Lighthouse. As Isaac turned in surprise to see the Adepts watching him, a great quake rose through the tower and shattered it into four parts. Isaac and the others were thrown to the floor, but they were luckier than Sheba and Felix.  
  
Sheba hung by one arm over the edge of the Aerie. Felix scrambled to grab hold, but she started to slip. "No! Sheba, just hold on a second more!"  
  
"I... can't... " she whispered. "Thank you, Felix." And she fell. Without a word, Felix dove after her. Almost calmly, the four quarters of the Lighthouse linked back together.  
  
"Felix!" shouted Garet. He struggled to his feet and rushed to the edge. "I don't believe it. He jumped after her... into the ocean?" The other Adepts looked out in amazement at the waves that now lapped at the Lighthouse's base.  
  
"The water rose up to the foundations," Mia stated. No one needed to say 'How', since they were all wondering 'Why' anyway.  
  
"I guess we won," Garet said eventually.  
  
"Yeah," Ivan agreed. "All we have to do now is find Alex and get that Star back."  
  
"And Jenna. And Kraden," Garet added as an afterthought.  
  
"Right. We have to tell Jenna what happened to her brother," said Isaac. The power of the Lords had left him, and the fact that he had just seen four people die was weighing heavily on him. "Good thing you'll be there, eh?"  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Garet.  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all. Let's get out of here, everyone." He started toward the platform that had been, at Mercury Lighthouse, a shortcut to the base.  
  
"Hold on, Isaac. You forgot something," Mia called.  
  
Isaac stopped. "What?" he asked, and began counting on his fingers. "Still have the Gaia Blade, slew the dragon and defeated Saturos and Menardi, saved everyone I could-" Mia, who had walked closer while he spoke, wrapped her arms around Isaac and kissed him on the lips. A surprised second later, Isaac closed his eyes and held Mia tightly, feeling that for once something might just have worked out perfectly.  
  
"Uh-huh," Garet stated impassively, arms crossed as he watched them. After some time he started to tap his foot, at which point Ivan tripped him with the Zodiac Staff.  
  
Isaac and Mia parted slightly, though he still held her in his arms. "Oh. That."  
  
"You think you're so funny," Mia whispered.  
  
"I am funny."  
  
"Intentionally?"  
  
"O-kay, can we go now?" asked Garet. "Isn't Faran waiting for us?"  
  
"Probably," Isaac replied, and started walking with Mia to the platform. Garet and Ivan followed, and the ledge started down the side of the Lighthouse. Isaac looked up at the sky. "Beautiful day."  
  
"How long are you going to be like this?" asked Garet.  
  
"Don't worry, it'll go away when we hit sea level," said Isaac, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, swimming for shore will do that to you," Ivan agreed.  
  
"But until we do," said Mia, "there's still a blue sky and a Golden Sun."  
  
  
  
  
  
Behold, for it is complete! At long last (Good Gallant, I've been working on this story for *how* many months?!) Golden Sun Redux, Venus Lighthouse Chapter, is complete. I'd like to thank me for writing it, as well as my proof reader (me) who had the despicable job of cleaning up all the hideous errors and badly-worded or -plotted sections. Also, I couldn't have done this without the help of my fantastic editor, Myself. I'd also like to thank everyone who read it, ask for more suggestions on which part to Redux next, and remind everyone to check up on The Battle For Digital City, which should be appearing in the Digimon section within the month (you know how I am on punctuality). And finally I'd like to remind everyone that this Thursday, Sept 17, is Talk Like A Pirate Day. No, really. 


End file.
